Alternate names: Shchuchyn [Bel], Szczuczyn [Pol], Shchuchin [Rus], Shtutchin [Yid], Ščučyn, Szczuczyn (Novogrudok), Szczuczyn Litewski, Belarusian: Шчучын. Russian: Щучин. שצ'וצ'ין - Hebrew. 53°37' N, 24°44' E, 37 miles E of Grodno, 30 miles SW of Lida. Both this town and Szczuczyn, Poland (Łomża gubernia, near Białystok) were called "Szczuczyn, Poland" between the two World Wars.]
yizkor: Sefer zikaron le-kehilot Szczuczyn, Wasiliszki, Ostryna, Nowy-Dwor, Rozanka. (Tel Aviv, 1966) This Scucyn was in Lida District, Vilna Guberniya, Lithuania; Lida District, Grodno Guberniya, Russia; and Lida District, Nowogrodek woj., Poland between WWI and WWII.
Shtetlink for Lida and shtetlink for Scucyn.
yizkor with photos.
Wikipedia [Aug 2015]
Photo gallery of the town (Russian)
Slownik Geograficzny Entry: Szczuczyn
- «Scucin - the city of aviators» Site about Scucin and its long aviation history
MASS GRAVE:
From 25 June 1941 until 13 July 1944, the Nazis killed about 2180 Jews from the Shchuchyn ghetto, most killed on 10(9) May 1942.
photo of massacre site of 2,060 Jews on May 9 1942. The monument was erected in 1965 and restored in 2001. [March 2009]
Mass Grave/Massacre site. [June 2013]
Video: Witness Interview (Witness N°348 interviewed in November, 2010). Soviet Archives: "At the end of April, a part of the war's prisoners, civilians and women were transfered in the camp 521 in Chtchoutchine. In this camp, 98 prisoners, 40 civilians and 128 women were confined. All the inmates had to work : they repaired some shoes and clothes for the German army. The war's prisoners were taken to other works, in the city and on the highways." [Act of the Soviet Extraordinary State Commission, RG 22.002 7021-81/15]] German Archives: "There was an action in Shchuchin and Vasilisski on May 6 and 7. At this time, 5,000 Jews were killed." [Testimony of Wilne Churban, B162-3408]. Nearby mass graves: Ostrino and Skidel.
2,000 Jews and Belarussians were buried in a marked mass grave with an area 30 meters by 4 meters. There is a fence around the site and a stone marker. I visited the site in the early 1990's. Source: Carl Smith: e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CEMETERY:
"We met a Jewish woman who showed us around. We saw the central square that did not change much since old times.Nearby, were streets where Jews used to live. I have a picture of one of the streets. Then, the woman showed us a small building [have photo] that was once Alte Shule, the old synagogue. Today, it is used as a kind of insurance office. She told me that not far from there was once a big and impressive New Synagogue, but it was destroyed. Afterwards, she took us to a big field, with a very high grass, which was once the Jewish cemetery.Jews were buried there until about 20 [1975] years ago. There is very high grass and only few gravestones still exist, in a very bad condition. Then, the woman took us to the place were over a thousand of the local Jews and those from the near towns (like Wasilishki and so on) were shot to death by the Nazis. For many long years, until the Perestroika, this place was forbidden to visit because nearby was an enormous strategic airfield of the Soviets. The place all around was forbidden to enter or to take photos. Soldiers shot without warning anyone coming near the place. We could see the big hangers and the very wide and long asphalt runways. So, the mass grave was abandoned for years. Only recently, a Jewish donor from Europe, with great devotion of this Jewish woman and some help of few locals built a high gravestone that I photographed from near and far perspective. Even today the fence around does not contain the entire actual grave, which was much bigger. Our visit in Szczuczyn was very emotional and sad." The anonymous source regarding a 1995 visit requested that you seek more information [June 2001]
"I found the Jewish cemetery, which is about 50 meters wide and 50 or 60 meters long. Quite a few of the tombstones are weathered and have fallen or been toppled. But many are still standing and have readable inscriptions. As there were about 40, I photographed them all. Right next to the graves are garages. The owners use the cemetery as a garbage dump, and bottles and other rubble are scattered about. As I approached the first grave, I could not believe what I saw! On the grave was a dead dog, in an advanced state of decay. The person who profaned the cemetery will rot in Hell! Where is his respect of the dead? A cemetery is sacred ground, regardless of who is buried there – Jew, Pole, German, Russian, whatever! Also, the poor dog, also one of G-d’s creations, deserves more respect. This was not the first time carrion had been tossed into the cemetery, as I found several skeletons of animals and chickens. The cemetery is partly covered in uncut brush, weeds, nettles, grass, and thistles. I stung my hands uncovering tombstones. But it was the right thing to do! The dead should be remembered. In a dozen or so years, the cemetery will slide completely into oblivion. My photographs will preserve its memory. Grass hides the tombstones. As I was leaving, I looked back, and couldn’t see any of the graves. Source: Jan Sekta- May 2000.
[UPDATE] Investigation of Execution Site by Yahad-in-Unum [August 2017]